Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-01-07

bore evidences of suffering, and vet the
large blue eyes were clear ana bright.
He sat in his little rocking chair Nnioy-
ing the warm sunlight which stressned
in upon the latticed portico.
"Where did the child come fromao
he asked aloud, though he evidently did s
not expect an answer. for he was too
far away from the child for it to hear.
and he saw no one else. Some one else
saw him. however. Feddler Pete was
an early riser, and on this morning. as
was his usual custom when at farmer
Stuart's, he lit his pipe and took a
stroll "about the place" before brosls-
fast.
"Ye never saw that little Teller
before ?" he asked. stepping from
behind q cherry bush within three or
four feet of Warren, and nodding to-
ward the little cripple.
No. never saw him, nor heard of
him before"
lies we'll known all over Sandy
Fork, and Pete pressed his finger in
his pipe bowl.
THAT may be true. Pete, and he still
be stranger to me. You know have
not been about Sandy Fork very much
for the last five years. Three years in
college and then two in the medical
school have taken considerable from
my life"
That SO, why doggon it, I'd forgot
that said Pete, putting away at his
pipe,
That is an interesting child"
Pete shook his head sadly and said.
Yes, he's n good child and will never
be at home any place save in Heaven.
He's just one o them good little boys
the Sunday-school books tell lis about
who alters die; he's got to die. and
then guess some one will write a book
about him."
/ WHO is he, and why is he here ?"
Didn't We ever hear of Mr.. Lake
man, Benjamin l believe, who lived
! down on Sandy Fork creek on the old
Plumber place /? y
Il think heard of the name a year
or so ago when | was home during
vacation.S
well, that's his child"
where is Mr.. Lakeman ?"
40 him he's dead"
And the boys mother ?"
"She's dead, too, died fust," said
Pete, sadly, roilling his pipe.
"And the child is heir to the Plumber
farm Wen, it's very valuable, and he
has ample support"
Not much" said Pete, striking
match and applying it to his pipe.
"Why not ?"
THE little fellow was euchrca out u
it some way. He hasn't nothiu' but
hundred and sixty acres o. brush and
hills not worth ten cents an acre
Then father. keeps him rs n matter
of charityP'-
No, boy, yer wrong agin-I should
have said doctor, but | forgot" and
Pete laughed. But Warren was too
| much interested in the little cripple be-
fore him to heed the little joke of his
friend, the poddler.
You say my father does not keep
him?' he asked.
mo, yer father does keep him; but
not rs Il matter of charity said Pete.
"He has other means theu?"
Not a dollar
''Why, Pete, what do YOU mean?'
Warren asked, in astonishment, 'you
talk in riddles; please explain your
self"
.'Haw, haw, haw, like to see We pu1-
| zled, boy-no, doc, Imean-but Tllnot
keep you on the ragged edge o sus-
pense any longer. That boy is sup
| ported by his sister,
His sisterP''
Eyes, Helen Lakcman. There were
only two o. them when the old folks
died. didn't know much about the
| family cos I'd never sold 'em much
| goods, they bein' out o my regular
range, We know. But when Lakcman
died it seems every body, even his own
| gal, thought he was well-to-do in the
| world, but some debts come agim his
estate and took every thing except that
brush and hill land, too poor to sprout
| beans. Wall, there were the gal, then
| fourteen, for ii was two years ago, and
her crippled brother only four. She
had some edgecation an tried to keep
school, but couldn't pass muster, some
| way, then she hired out; she's been
! here | believe for the last six or seven
| months"
The story was simple one, and told
| with but very little feeling on the part
of Pete. 1t was simply the struggle Of
a young girl trying to do her duty.
Warren received it rs such. He saw
nothing especially grand in it then
| There was nothing noble in a girl hiring
out to earn a livelihood for herself, or
| herself and invalid brother, much less
| any thing romantic. What romance
could there be in girl hiring out. It
was too common, and a romance to be
n romance in the worlds eyes must be:
very unnatural, very uncommon.
Hes a nice little boy" said Pete.
after few moments silence, still look
ing at the child. Though he's aw fully
| crippled and can't walk without hayin'
his hands on his knees; he's just as pa
| tient as KIN be, an Helen she's mighty
| good to him. She never scolds him an
| alters looks to his comfort, though she
be tired out. / sometimes think death
| to that child will be "A blessin'."
Pete's tones were sad. This no.
madic man, with all his bad grammar
and pronunciation, was something of
| philosopher. He had Travelled consid-
erably in his humble calling, and, hav-.
ing keen perception, picked up many
truths not to be found in text books.
| In fact, he was an educated man. not
from the standpoint of books, but from
| nature.
''Why do you think the death Of that
child would be blessing, Peter" War
rem asked.
TO BE CONTINUED.